Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics GmbH
  • Patent number: 6294905
    Abstract: A control or adjusting circuit for a load, a desired signal is compared to an actual signal corresponding to the state of the load, and a PWM control signal is generated in a control signal generating circuit in accordance with the comparison result. The control signal opens and closes a current switch coupled to the load. For forming the PWM control signal, the contents of a ramp counter are compared to the contents of an up/down counter by means of a digital comparator. To obtain fast approximation of the two signals to each other in the case of strong deviations between the desired signal and the actual signal, the up/down counter is subjected to relatively rapid counting in case of high control deviations as compared to low control deviations. To this end, the up/down counter is operated with a clock signal of variable frequency that is produced by a voltage-controlled oscillator as a function of the difference between the desired signal and the actual signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Reiner Schwartz
  • Patent number: 6281720
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement which, in accordance with its mode of control, operates either as input circuit or as output circuit and includes a series connection with an inverter stage, a filter stage, a cross-current avoiding stage, a switching-on voltage reducing stage, a switch stage, an output driver stage, and a Miller feedback stage, which are configured in the mode of operation as an output circuit, and parallel thereto a Schmitt trigger and an analog switch that can become effective in the mode of operation as input circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Bonitz
  • Patent number: 6265921
    Abstract: An electric circuit configuration for shaping the slew rate of a pulsed output voltage occurring at an output terminal and for detecting a short circuit at the output terminal, having: a switchover control circuit for controlling the slew rate of the output voltage as a function of a voltage curve occurring across an internal resistor in a first switching state, and for feedback-controlling the slew rate as a function of the output voltage curve in a second switching state, and which is in a substantially dead state in a third switching state; a detector circuit which provides a detection signal when the output voltage differs by at least a predetermined value from the output voltage level occurring before edge onset; and a timer circuit for switching the control circuit from the first to the second switching state a predetermined length of time after edge onset if the detection signal is present at this time, and from the first to the third switching state if the detection signal is not present at this time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Heinrich
  • Patent number: 6237126
    Abstract: For an analysis of an electrical behaviour of a specific cell of a monolithically integrated circuit, a simulation model is used which is composed of a fine model part of the cell of interest and a coarse model part of the remainder of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Bonitz
  • Patent number: 6166925
    Abstract: A DC converter for stepping down DC voltage having two input terminals (E1, E2) to be connected to an input DC voltage source with a high voltage level; two output terminals (A1, A2) for taking a regulated low output DC voltage; a coil (TS) having a center tap (MA) and connected at one end (TA1) with a first one (E1) of the input terminals via an electronic switch device (MOS) and at the other end (TA2) with the second input terminal (E2) via a first capacitor (C1); the charging voltage of the first capacitor (C1) forming the output DC voltage; a second capacitor (C6) connected at one end with a node located between switching device (MOS) and coil (TS) and at the other end with the center tap (MA) via a first diode (D2); a control device (EV, PWM for comparing the charging voltage of the second capacitor (C6) with a reference voltage (REF) and rendering the switch device (MOS) conductive and non-conductive with a pulse-frequency modulated and/or pulse-width modulated switching pulse sequence depending on the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Richter, Maxime Teissier
  • Patent number: 6133775
    Abstract: A switched capacitor wherein one of the plates of the capacitor to be switched is fed with the input signal via a transistor switch receiving as control signal at the gate thereof a pulse train with predetermined frequency. For compensating the parasitic capacitance of the transistor switch, a compensation component is located between the transistor switch and the capacitor to be switched. This compensation component is formed as an incomplete transistor structure, such as only 1/2 of a transistor, has a drain region in common with transistor switch and has an insulated gate. The parasitic capacitance of the compensation component thus is established mainly by the capacitance between the insulated gate and the drain region and thus corresponds to the parasitic capacitance of the transistor switch, whereby complete compensation with optimized charge transfer is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Jorge Schambacher, Peter Kirchlechner, Jurgen Lubbe
  • Patent number: 6124739
    Abstract: A monolithically integrated signal processing circuit comprising a signal series branch connected between a signal input terminal and a signal output terminal; a reference potential terminal; a series capacitor inserted in serial manner in the signal series branch and having a parasitic capacitance acting like a capacitor that is connected between a first electrode of the series capacitor directed towards the signal input terminal and the reference voltage terminal; and a first parallel capacitor connected between the first electrode of the series capacitor and the reference potential terminal; with the first parallel capacitor being constituted at least in part by the parasitic capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Roither, Gunther Hackl, Uwe Fischer
  • Patent number: 6104728
    Abstract: A device for selection of address words, each having n bit locations and serving for addressing m different receiving locations of a digital communications apparatus, comprising a digital acceptance device via which address words can be selected which are acceptable for the particular receiving location in consideration. The acceptance device includes an address word segmenting device through which each address word received by the receiving location is subdivided into s address word segments with b segment bit locations each, wherein b=n/s and n is an integral multiple of s, a decoder having a decoder input accepting the bit pattern of the address word segment of the particular address word being examined for acceptance, and having a decoder output at which, for each of the possible segment bit patterns, a decoder output bit pattern representing only this segment bit pattern is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Heinrich
  • Patent number: 6104243
    Abstract: In a fully integrated logarithmic amplifier, an input current is fed via a diode, and in a reference current branch parallel thereto, a constant current flows through a similar diode. A voltage divider forms of the differential voltage between the two diodes a partial voltage on a variable resistor of the voltage divider, which is processed by a differential amplifier for forming the output signal. Parallel to the two current branches mentioned, there is provided an additional current branch having a constant current source and a diode. The differential voltage between the diode of the reference current branch and the diode in the additional current branch is also divided by a voltage divider. A differential amplifier forms of the voltage on the variable resistor of the voltage divider an error signal which changes the variable resistance from which the differential amplifier has formed the error signal as well as the resistance fo the variable resistor of which the output signal is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Viebach
  • Patent number: 6100742
    Abstract: A driver circuit for slope-controlled pulsed switching of a load having a MOS switching transistor switching the load and a control loop with an amplifier having an amplifier input coupled with a switch control pulse source, an amplifier output connected with the gate of the MOS switching transistor, and a feedback capacitor. The driver circuit also includes a switchable current mirror circuit with a current mirror transistor formed by the MOS switching transistor and a diode transistor wired as a current mirror diode, a connection point between the diode transistor and the gate of the MOS switching transistor being connected with the amplifier output. A timer circuit is supplied on the input side with the switch control pulses from the switch control pulse source, and switches the diode transistor into a conductive state for essentially the duration of each switch control pulse edge and otherwise into a nonconductive state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Ricardo Erckert
  • Patent number: 6031404
    Abstract: An analog-signal to square-wave-signal reshaping system for threshold-dependent reshaping of an analog input signal to a square wave signal; comprising an offset-inflicted reshaping circuit having a signal input adapted to be fed with the analog input signal, a reference input adapted to be fed with a reference voltage determining the reshaping threshold, and a signal output from which the square wave signal is available; an offset storage circuit connected to the signal input of the reshaping circuit and adapted to store a charging voltage corresponding to the offset voltage of the reshaping circuit, with this charging voltage being adapted to be superimposed on the analog input signal for offset compensation; a controllable switch circuit which in a first switching state takes no influence on the reshaping function of the reshaping circuit and, for the purpose of offset compensation, in a second switching state interrupts the reshaping operation of reshaping circuit and effects charging of the offset storag
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Roither, Gunther Hackl, Uwe Fischer
  • Patent number: 6028469
    Abstract: An electric circuit having a switchable feedback branch switchable between a first feedback state, in which the circuit arrangement has a frequency response that is stable with respect to an oscillation tendency, and a second feedback state, in which the circuit arrangement has a frequency response that is unstable with respect to an oscillation tendency. The circuit includes a switchable frequency response compensation circuit which during the first feedback state of the feedback branch can be controlled to an ineffective state and during the second feedback state of the feedback branch can be controlled to an effective state, and in the effective state causes such compensation of the frequency response of the circuit arrangement in the second feedback state that the circuit arrangement in the second feedback state remains stable with respect to an oscillation tendency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Roither, Gunther Hackl, Uwe Fischer
  • Patent number: 6021121
    Abstract: A device for the selection of address words each having n bit locations and serving for addressing m different receiving locations of a digital communication module, in at least one of the receiving locations, including a digital acceptance module through which address words can be selected. The device has an address word segmenting module through which each address word received by the receiving location can be subdivided into s address word segments with b segment bit locations each, wherein b=n/s and n is an integral multiple of s. The device further has z digital segment filters whose inputs can each be fed with an address word segment, with each segment filter having the function of examining one address word segment each with respect to conformity with a predetermined segment bit pattern, and a filter output signal being available at the output of the respective segment filter, which in accordance with the examination result is either a conformity signal or a non-conformity signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Heinrich
  • Patent number: 6020779
    Abstract: An electrical switching device including a switch having a control terminal, a control circuit coupled between a first voltage source terminal and a second voltage source terminal and a control signal input coupled to receive a binary switching control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: John Udo
  • Patent number: 6014304
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for controlling a plurality of mutually communicating actuators, each of the actuators having at least one signal sensor for determining the state of the actuator, with at least one control apparatus generating, in accordance with the state of at least one of the actuators, control signals used for driving controllers of the actuators. In order to avoid overheating of the individual actuators or the control apparatus in case of a large number of actuations by a user, it is provided to determine the temperature of the actuators and the control apparatus cooperating with the actuators and, in case a predetermined temperature threshold value is exceeded in an actuator or the control apparatus, to generate a control signal for non-driving the controllers of the actuators until the excessive temperature detected drops below the temperature threshold value by a defined temperature value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Burnus, Hans Reichmeyer
  • Patent number: 6008669
    Abstract: A monolithic integrated multiple mode circuit having an output stage, a transfer gate, a control circuit arrangement, and a well contacting region where a well potential may be applied, the multiple mode circuit adapted to be controlled into an output stage mode or an input stage mode by means of control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Gerner
  • Patent number: 6000002
    Abstract: A protection circuit for the prevention of program interruptions of electrical equipment controlled on the basis of program step clocks, by too frequent occurrences of non-maskable interrupt signals. This protection circuit comprises a controllable interrupt signal passage circuit which, depending on an output signal of a control signal source, can be controlled to a state permitting the passage of the non-maskable interrupt signal or to a state blocking said signal. The control signal source comprises a clock counter with overflow resetting function, by means of which program step clock pulses can be counted starting from a predetermined initial counting value until a predetermined overflow counting value is reached. The control signal source comprises furthermore an interrupt signal counter the counting value of which can be increased by each non-maskable interrupt event and decreased each time the overflow counting value of the clock counter is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Bonitz
  • Patent number: 5995817
    Abstract: For eliminating the emphasis given an audio signal in the transmitter, an audio signal processor of an audio device (e.g., a car radio) contains a low-pass filter. In order to attenuate the spurious higher-frequency signal fractions in case of poor reception and accordingly low received field strength, the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter is shifted in the direction of lower frequencies in accordance with a received field strength signal when the field strength becomes lower. In order to avoid external adjusting components and save pins on the IC chip, the field strength signal is supplied to an analog-to-digital converter and the latter supplies a digital signal to a low-pass filter whose cutoff frequency is variable. For this purpose the low-pass filter contains a number of integrated components one of which is connected or disconnected by a digit place of the digital signal in each case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Lubbe, Peter Kirchlechner, Jorg Schambacher
  • Patent number: 5973617
    Abstract: A control circuit adapted to be switched to a standby mode during periods without control requirement and to be repeatedly reset during the standby mode of operation for a short wake-up period each to a full mode of operation. The control circuit comprises a standby oscillator that is operative also in the standby mode and that is adjusted during wake-up periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Reichmeyer, Francesco Colandrea
  • Patent number: 5953430
    Abstract: A filter circuit adjustably decreases or increases the amplitude of audio signals in a predetermined frequency range. The filter circuit includes a filter module having an RC network with at least one frequency-response-determining RC member whose resistor component R is realized in SC technology. A setting device is connected to the filter module such that its setting determines the frequency response of the SC filter. The setting device renders possible a neutral setting in which the effective audio signal path of the filter circuit circumvents the filter module so that no decrease or increase of the amplitude of individual frequency portions takes place. Furthermore, an audio signal processor comprises at least one audio signal input, at least one audio signal output, and at least one control input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Kirchlechner, Jorg Schambacher, Jurgen Lubbe